Between May and July every year, fisherfolk at Jinshan - a port town in Taipei - barely get sleep. Why? All night long, they are at sea catching fish with fire. Aged around 60 years and equipped with a few rickety boats and worn-out tools, these men serve as the custodians of a century-old community fishing tradition which is now slowly losing its flame. The enthusiasm for it may be dwindling with time, but the Jinshan sulphuric fire fishing practice is one of the most spectacular traditions that the world sees during the typhoon season.
After sundown, these keepers of fishing heritage set sail off the coast from the Huangguang Fishing Harbour. They then slightly lower the bamboo sticks, one end of which is ignited using the chemical, in the water. And what you see moments later is a sight to behold. Clusters of glittering silvery fish - mostly sardines - leap out of the water in a mad rush, which are then scooped out into mesh nets. Dating back over a hundred year, this practice is said to have begun with the Basay people, an aboriginal group of Taiwan.
Why use sulphur, though? That’s because this nonmetallic chemical is an abundant resource in this part of the country. In order to create flammable gas that attracts thousands of sardines in the dead of night, the fisherfolk depend on soft sulphuric rocks found in various parts of the region. However, in recent years, the use of calcium carbide is being encouraged instead to torch the bamboo sticks.
If the weather remains favourable, up to four tons of sardines can be caught within a span of six hours, fetching them more than $4,500 (₹3,49,207 approx) - which is still just about a small portion of the larger fishing industry. Earlier, fire fishing used to be a regular activity in the fishing village, but now it’s done only during the seasonal window. Are the earnings enough to sustain a fishing community? Probably not. That’s also the reason despite their age, sexagenarians are still compelled to continue with this obsolete and cumbersome fishing technique. Of course, they are passionate about the ancestral fishing culture, but a lot is also about their life, income level and prospects for sustainability.
In a bid to preserve the dying practice and extend their help to spread awareness about it, several local groups organise special events from time to time, and the ‘Jinshan Sulphuric Fire Fishing Festival’ is one of them. If there are enough funds available, the fest typically takes place between May and July every year, and is abuzz with concerts and other activities. You can also embark on sightseeing trips, in which boats are deployed for enthusiasts and tourists to enjoy the dazzling fire-fishing experience, as they happen in the Pacific Ocean. For photographers, on the other hand, this could be an intriguing field activity. Began in 2013, this event is seen as a major step to promote the fire-fishing culture as well as raise money.
Apart from this, fire fishing has also been pitched to the Department of Cultural Affairs to be registered as a ‘cultural asset’, while the government is offering a subsidy to the fishermen so that they don’t give up on fire-fishing yet.